Topher moved as well, planting himself in front of Jake and crossing his arms. "Aren't you forgetting something?" he growled at Jake.
"What could I be missing?" There was thinly veiled contempt behind Jake's words.
I glanced over at Rhi and Adam, who both looked about as confused as I felt. I was reassured to know I wasn't the only person out of the loop in this conversation. I did have to wonder what was going on between the two boys.
"A thank you for the princess," Topher said. "She did save your life."
An apology for speaking so harshly to me before wouldn't have gone amiss either. I pushed that thought away. There was no reason to expect an apology. He'd reacted in the only way he could, given how random me pushing him over had been.
Jake's jaw ticked in anger, but he turned to face me, nonetheless. "Thank you, Kelis," he said, stressing my name. It was probably just a response to Topher always using princess to talk about me, but it made my heart soar nonetheless. He was talking right to me. He said my name.
"It was nothing," I mumbled. Great. Where had my confidence gone? I'd held my own against a general just a couple of days ago, but faced with a twenty-one-year-old guy, I was stumbling through my words and acting like I didn't know what to say.
Jake flashed me a twisted smile and turned back to Adam, pushing Rhi to the side. Hurt crossed the other girl's face. She'd probably hoped she could spend time with Adam, much like I hoped I could with Jake. I didn't think it was particularly working out for either of us. Jake was behaving like a jerk, and Adam wasn’t much better.
Topher sidled over to me. "How did you know that spell was coming?" he asked, genuine interest in his voice.
"I don't know," I answered honestly.
"Has it happened before?" He brushed his scruffy dark hair out of his eyes. The stubble on his cheeks only accentuated his jawline. While I wasn't used to seeing men without clean-shaven faces, I found it suited him.
"No. This is the first time." Other than my dreams, that was, but I wasn't about to talk about them with anyone after my father's reaction. Besides, I needed to hold onto the idea that what I was seeing in my dreams wasn't going to come true. The last thing I wanted was to have to see my Mother like that.
"Seeing the future is a rare gift indeed. Very rare. Hmm. If it happens again, will you let me know?" Topher asked.
I nodded. "Sure." I wanted to ask why, but that wasn't polite.
"I'm going to practice more," he said uselessly.
"Have fun." I waved him off, leaving Rhi and me alone.
"You alright?" she asked. "Jake really is a horses ass sometimes."
I gave her a grin. Horses ass suited Jake right down to the ground. Now, if only I could get my heart to stop doing the conga every time he glanced my way. I'd never had a proper female friend, but maybe Rhi could shape out to be one.
Her eyes strayed back to Adam. She had it bad for my cousin. I started to wonder if there was anything I could do to help her get what she wanted. If I could figure it out, then I'd certainly do it. She'd been nothing but nice to me since we'd met.
"It'll work itself out," she said softly.
"I hope so,” I said. But did I? Jake had treated me like crap from the start, so why was it that I wanted him so badly?
11th October
The trees around me groaned, and the wind whistled. I closed my eyes, wishing myself away from the dream world where I knew I'd find my mother's almost dead body lying in a coffin again.
I opened them slowly only to discover myself still on the path through the woods. This time, the stones on the path dug into my feet. If this was real life, I'd have cuts all over the soles of my feet by the time I'd made my way to the clearing.
The memory of yesterday's stray spell and how I'd known it was coming flashed through my mind. This wasn't the same. I needed to remember that. There was no fuzzy edge like the premonition, This was only a dream.
The stones crunched, and I tried not to wince as I walked over them. The trees continued to wave, and the wind carried on howling, each of them clearer than they had been the night before. If this was going to keep happening, then I was going to become exhausted. Maybe there was something I could take to ease me into a sleep with no nightmares.
When the clearing was in sight, I sped up. Or I tried to. The dream didn't seem to want me to control it, though, and I approached it just as slowly as the last couple of times.
Dread swirled in my stomach. What was I going to see this time? Mother had already been motionless and had already aged. What could be worse than that? Did it bear thinking about?
The clearing arrived just as it was supposed to. As much as I was relieved that the dream was nearly over and I could get back to a more peaceful sleep, I didn't want to see what was lying in the coffin in front of me.
I took a steadying breath, though it changed nothing in this dreamland. It was never going to. As far as I could tell, nothing I did would change anything in the dream.
I peered over the side of the coffin and felt some kind of relief pop up beside the constant fear. Mother was no worse than she had been the night before. The only difference I could see was a rosy red apple in her left hand. It wasn't that the whole dream sequence didn't worry me. It did. But I felt that if it didn't get worse, then there was less to worry about. My theory was flawed, that was for certain.
"I'm sorry this happened to you," I whispered to Mother. Feeling brave, I reached out a hand and stroked it down her cheek. Her skin was warmer than I expected, almost as if she wasn't dead. Hope bloomed within me, even though this was a horrible situation. "I'm going to figure out how to stop this," I promised her.
A woman’s voice called out to me. Not my mother’s, but someone else’s. Her words were too distant for me to hear her, but it sounded like she was calling for help.
The dream faded, not as suddenly as it had the other times, maybe my acceptance of it was starting to help.
My eyes snapped open moments later, and I stared up at the ceiling through the darkness in my room. My heart raced, and my feet ached as if they really had been sliced open by the stones.
"It's just a dream," I reminded myself in a whisper. "A dream."
Sleep returned, and this time, the blackness was a welcome respite from the horror of my dream.
I sighed and pushed away the stack of papers I was working on. I rubbed a hand over my face. I might have managed to fall back asleep for a few hours, but I still felt the exhaustion from the night before.
Shouts came from the courtyard below, pulling my attention further away from the work on my desk. Father always insisted that I didn't need to do work for the kingdom like this, but I felt like it was the right thing to do. One day, I was going to be the ruler of Enchantia. I needed to prove that I was worthy of the title, especially because of the real circumstances of my birth. No one but my parents and I knew the truth, but they'd adopted me after trying to have a baby of their own. They'd told me when I was old enough to understand they'd still love me no matter what, and I appreciated that. I'd also never doubted it.
A loud crash sounded from outside. Startled, I scraped my chair back and rushed over to the window of my office. It looked down on one of the north courtyards, one that was barely used by anyone.
One glance down told me everything I needed to know. Adam and Jake were shooting spells at targets they'd set up at the opposite end of the courtyard. Topher watched them intently, while Rhi and Lyss sat in awkward silence. Perhaps Lyss was aware of how little Rhi liked her, and by the way they were acting, it appeared as if the feeling was entirely mutual.
"First one to fifty wins," Adam shouted.
"You're on," Jake responded.
I wasn't sure what they were doing, but they rearranged the targets and took their places once more. I watched in fascination as they started taking shots. This magic was different from the spells they'd been using before. It shot out from their wands, hitting the targets. After they'd hit, they went to write their
scores on a chalkboard they must have brought with them. I couldn't tell who was winning from this distance, but I found it fascinating to watch, even so. They flung spells as if they'd been born to do it.
My hand began to itch with need. I wanted to take out my wand and do magic myself. It was a new feeling, and one I hadn't experienced before. I hadn't even done any magic while we'd been at the arena yesterday. I hadn't felt like it after my strange vision, so I had just watched.
Eventually, Adam cheered after what seemed like a particularly good shot. He must have won, then. Jake kicked one of the wooden planters we used to decorate the courtyards. It tipped over, spilling soil and flowers all over the ground.
A heated discussion followed, but they spoke so quietly that I couldn't make out any of it. And then they disappeared off back into the palace to do whatever it was they entertained themselves with during the day.
The girls followed them, but Topher stayed back and used his wand to reverse the damage that Jake had done to the planter. I wasn't sure if it would be enough to save the flowers he'd knocked out, but it was a nice gesture, all the same. Once he was done, he followed the others back inside.
I sighed and made my way back to my desk where the stack of papers still waited for me. I pulled the top one closer and began reading it until realizing none of it was going in.
A knock sounded on my door, pulling me from my fifth re-read of the policy I was supposed to be reviewing.
"Come in," I called.
The door creaked open and Father walked in. "Are you alright, Kelis?" he asked, taking a seat opposite my desk.
I smiled at him, hoping it would reassure him. "Yes."
"You look tired." He looked me up and down, no doubt trying to work out what was causing it. He wasn't nearly as good at reading me as Mother was, though.
"I've been having bad dreams." I waved it away.
“The one about your mother?”
I nodded, feeling almost ashamed to admit it.
"Have you tried a sleep syrup?" he asked.
“No.”
"I'll have some sent up to your room."
"Thank you." If I'd thought about it, I would have arranged for it myself, but I'd been distracted by thoughts of Jake.
"Kelis, you really should take some time for yourself," Father said, a stern look on his face. "There's plenty of time for you to have to run the country. You're young, you should act like it."
I chewed on my lip. Maybe he was right. I was overdoing it.
"You know what? I think that's an excellent idea." I got to my feet and smoothed out my clothing.
Father looked on, surprised by my sudden acceptance of what he was saying.
"I'm glad. You should have more fun," he said, still a little dazed. "Maybe you can start making some friends. That girl who came with Adam seems nice."
"Rhi?" I checked.
Father nodded.
“She is. I like her.”
"You'll need some ladies-in-waiting soon. If you two get on, it might be worth asking her."
I winced. It was something I was aware of, but had been putting off for a while.
"I will, Father. Promise."
"Good. Now go have fun." He flashed me a doting smile.
On a whim, I leaned in and kissed him on the forehead. He closed his eyes, enjoying the affection I was giving him. I loved my parents and needed to make sure I showed both of them more love while I still could. And if my dreams were to be believed, then Mother didn't have much time left.
I glanced around the courtyard, anxious to check that I was alone. I wasn't sure why I didn't want anyone watching me, other than it had been a long time since I'd practiced magic, and I was worried that someone would see me doing badly and find it a source of amusement.
And by someone, I meant Jake.
The targets the boys had been using stood as bright red and white reminders of what I was going to try to do. This might be a bad idea, but if I didn't at least try and foster an interest in magic, then I doubted Jake would ever look at me with anything other than contempt.
I shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other and withdrew my wand. It didn't feel as alien as it had yesterday, which was something. When I'd gotten back to my room, I'd spent some time holding it to try and get used to the feel. It had paid off. It was a lot more natural than before.
My arm shook as I raised my wand to point at the target. I was far too out of practice. A little well of guilt threaded through me at that. There was no real reason why I'd avoided magic for as long as I had. It was a part of our society and the very way Enchantia ran, it was something I should understand and use in my daily life.
"Stop stalling," I muttered to myself. At this rate, I was never going to get a spell out. I decided on a light spell, just something to improve my aim.
I flicked my wrist and a streak of yellowish light flew from my wand towards the target.
And missed.
My arm dropped to my side. Why had I thought it would be as straight forward as just doing a spell? I needed to try harder,
I sent off a second shot. It missed. As did my next three.
I let out a grunt of frustration. "Why can't I do this?" I half-yelled at myself.
"You're just out of practice, that's all," a voice said from behind me.
I spun around, pointing my wand at the intruder.
"I'd rather you didn't point that at me if you're not sure how to use it," Topher joked.
"Sorry." I dropped my arm to my side. I didn't want to hurt him; I'd just been taken by surprise at his presence.
"Can I ask you something?" He sat down on the same bench Lyss and Rhi had been using earlier. Seeing nothing else for it, I went over to sit by him.
"Sure. But there are some things I can't answer."
A wry smile slipped over his face. "You're not an average princess, are you?" he asked.
I let out a short laugh. "Is that your question?"
"Just an observation."
"Hmm." I waited for him to say what he was really thinking.
"Why is Enchantia's princess so out of the loop about magic?"
"Oh, that." I shrugged. "I guess I was too busy with all the other things I needed to learn to ever practice much. There was always something more important to do."
"But, you want to learn now?"
I nodded. "When I saw you all using magic yesterday, I realized how much I wanted to do it myself. How much I was missing out on by not having learned. Then earlier..." I trailed off. Should I admit that I was watching Jake and Adam through the window? "That's my office," I added, pointing up at the window I'd been watching through earlier.
He nodded, clearly realizing what I was getting at.
"Do you want me to teach you?" he asked after a moment.
"Would you do that?"
"I don't have anywhere to be. You want to learn, and I know a thing or two about spells and magic. Don't tell anyone, but I'm the president of the society of magic at our university."
"Why can't I tell anyone?" I cocked my head to the side. "Surely, they're aware of it?"
"They are." He shrugged again. "But if people are reminded, then their egos get bruised, and I don't want to have to deal with that."
The memory of Jake kicking the planter came to mind. I glanced over at it. No one would have guessed it had been almost ruined a few hours earlier.
Topher chuckled. "Exactly my point. I like my things not broken. Now, magic. Stand up, please."
I did as he instructed, which included the proper way to hold my wand. Thankfully, it wasn't far off what had felt right to me anyway.
"Have you ever done archery, princess?" he asked.
"I thought I asked you to call me Kelis?" I responded.
"You did, but that isn't polite."
"Isn't it less polite to continue talking to me in a formal manner when I've asked you not to?"
He thought about that for a moment before brushing his hair out of his eyes and flashing me a win
ning smile. Behind the scruff, there was no doubt, he was handsome. The long hair and stubble potentially enhanced that. I pushed that thought aside. I already had one crush to deal with. My brain didn’t have space for any more.
"Point taken, Kelis."
I smiled, enjoying the way he said my name. There was no judgment or expectation in it. Despite the fact he used my title to refer to me, I wasn't just a princess to him. I could appreciate that. No, more than that, I needed that from someone.
"You didn't answer the question," he pointed out. "Have you ever done archery?"
I nodded. "A traveling fair came once, and they had a range." Most people didn't bother with weapons training in Enchantia. There was no need to when we could all use magic. I wasn't sure if it came from the water or something we ate, But I had yet to meet an Echantian who didn't have magic, even if some people were like me and chose not to use it much.
"Do you remember what the proper stance was when shooting?" Topher asked.
I nodded.
"That's what you need when you're shooting at a target with magic. If you're dueling, you need to be more relaxed and able to move, but we'll get onto that another time."
"You're going to teach me more?" I didn't hide the excitement in my voice. Maybe if I'd had a teacher like Topher before, I'd already know some of this.
"If you want to. Yes."
"Thanks." I shuffled myself around, standing the way he'd described. Instantly, I noticed the difference. I could focus on the center of the target in a way I hadn't been able to before.
"Now, lift up your arm so you can look down it," he instructed.
I did that. "This is so much better," I whispered, excitement coursing through me.
"It's still not quite right," he said. "Do you mind if I move you into a better position?" he asked.
I shook my head. If it would make me better and give me the skills I needed to impress Jake, then I'd do anything.
Topher moved into my personal space, bringing his scent with him. I'd expected him to smell a little earthy, perhaps because of his looks, but that was wrong. The only way I could think of describing the way he smelled was like apple pie, cinnamon, and hot, flaky pastry. Delicious and comforting at the same time. Just like his scruffy dark hair, it suited him.
Queen of Reflections: A Snow White retelling (Kingdom of Fairytales Snow White Book 1) Page 5